Science Notebooks look different for different grade levels, subjects, and teachers; however, they all have a few things in common:
a) they help students record data/evidence/observations in one place
b) they can help students organize information in a way that allows them to use their own notes as reference
c) they reinforce literacy (writing, quantitative, and science content)
d) they can be hard-copy (paper) or electronic
e) they can be assessed by teachers (either as formative or summative assessment)
f) they reinforce the importance of scientists recording detailed notes/observations/data (if these data are used later on in instruction as students construct scientific arguments)
The following links describe different types of science notebooks, including field notes:
Science Notebooks & Writing in Science
Science Notebooks look different for different grade levels, subjects, and teachers; however, they all have a few things in common:a) they help students record data/evidence/observations in one place
b) they can help students organize information in a way that allows them to use their own notes as reference
c) they reinforce literacy (writing, quantitative, and science content)
d) they can be hard-copy (paper) or electronic
e) they can be assessed by teachers (either as formative or summative assessment)
f) they reinforce the importance of scientists recording detailed notes/observations/data (if these data are used later on in instruction as students construct scientific arguments)
The following links describe different types of science notebooks, including field notes:
0) http://www.sciencenotebooks.org
1) http://www.firsthandlearning.org/journal_lesson.pdf;
2) http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/journal.html;
3) http://www.gettoknow.ca/events/bioblitz/downloads/bioblitz-field-journal.pdf;
4) http://instruct.uwo.ca/biology/320y/fj.html;
5) http://loki.stockton.edu/~cromartj/ecology/fieldnotes.htm
6) Ready to have your students use their notes to write a science report? This resource is from Scholastic and the American Museum of Natural History and may be useful for your students:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/sciencewriting/index.htm
7) Cornell notes were described by Walter Pauk from Cornell University.
http://lsc.cornell.edu/LSC_Resources/cornellsystem.pdf
8) The Field Book Project of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
http://www.mnh.si.edu/rc/fieldbooks/index.html